Nothing More
by FreezeDriedRose
Summary: When Sebastian notices he's not the only one watching Kurt and Blaine at Scandals, he decides to have a bit of fun with the pathetic but nonetheless reasonably attractive Lima loser. That's all it is. Fun. Nothing more. So why can't he seem to stay away?
1. Part 1

A rare slow song diffused through the atmosphere of the bar. On the dance floor a couple moved closer to each other, sharing a soft smile. As they danced, Kurt leaned in to press a tender kiss to Blaine's lips. Scandals was one of the few public places they could do that without fear. They blissfully lost themselves in each other, neither of them noticing the two boys that were watching them intently.

Dave looked on wistfully, drowning in the knowledge that he was longing for something he could never have. He may have once dreamed of stealing Kurt away, but over time that fantasy had corroded and disintegrated until it was nothing more than dust. Kurt was beautiful in every possible meaning of the word. A heavenly creature that would only be tarnished by Dave's touch. Dave had almost broken him once before and he would never take that risk again. Kurt deserved to be happy, especially after everything Dave had done to him, and Blaine made Kurt happy in a way Dave never could.

It wasn't Kurt he yearned for now, not really. It was someone who would look at him the way Kurt looked at Blaine. But that too was out of his reach. Romance was for beautiful people like Kurt, not for useless, ugly, scared little boys like Dave. How could anyone love him when he'd screwed everything up so badly? When he may never have the courage to even admit to being gay, let alone to being in a relationship with a boy?

Sebastian glared at the oblivious couple with frustration that was quickly growing into resentment. No matter what he tried, Blaine kept going back to that stuck up twink. In fact, they somehow seemed to be growing closer. But Sebastian wasn't ready to give up, not by a long shot. He was Sebastian Fucking Smythe; he always got what he wanted. It had just never taken this long before. Blaine was an idiot; that was the only explanation. A hot idiot who didn't know what he should want. A hot, sexy, gorgeous, tantalising… _Fuck_.

Tearing his eyes away from the infuriating scene on the dance floor, Sebastian scanned the other occupants of the bar. It was then that he noticed he wasn't the only person watching the couple. Interesting. He slinked over to the other observer, who he vaguely remembered seeing Kurt with the first time he'd invited the two former Warblers to the gay bar.

"So which one is it?" he asked bluntly.

The other boy glanced around, trying to determine if there was someone else Sebastian could be talking to before bewilderedly asking "What?"

"Which one are you drooling over like some starving stray dog staring through a window at a banquet?"

Dave took a moment to wonder if he should answer the strange boy's question or run away as fast as possible. "Is it that obvious?" he asked uncertainly.

"Uh, _yeah_. So which one?"

Dave sighed. "Kurt," he admitted.

Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. "Well I certainly can't compliment your taste, but if it's any consolation, once I'm finished he should be free for you to take your shot."

"What do you mean?"

"I want Blaine," Sebastian replied nonchalantly. "And I always get what I want. Kurt's in my way for the moment, but I'll get rid of him soon enough. After that he'll be all yours."

Dave stared at the other boy in disbelief. "Whatever it is you're planning, you may as well give up now. It's obvious even to an idiot like me that they're in love. You don't stand a chance."

The word 'love' triggered a derisive snort from Sebastian. "Please, as if Blaine's going to stay with that frigid princess when he realises what I'm offering."

Anger clouded Dave's expression. "Don't talk about Kurt like that," he said tightly.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot," Sebastian replied, not sounding the least bit contrite. "So, Bear Cub, are you in _love _with him?"

"My name's Dave," the other boy corrected. "And no, I'm not in love with him, not anymore at least. But I still admire him. You don't know what he's been through. …What I've put him through." The last sentence was spoken quietly, almost to himself.

Sebastian seemed to find Dave's admission particularly amusing. "Been pulling pigtails have we? Oh dear."

Dave ignored him. "So I take it you don't feel that way about Blaine, then." He wasn't quite sure why he was even still talking to the caustic boy. _I must be drunker than I thought._

Sebastian shrugged. "Blaine's hot. And a challenge. And so deliciously innocent." An indulgent smirk crossed his face. "I'm going to enjoy corrupting him."

"You're sick"

"You're pathetic. Still in the closet I'm guessing?" Dave didn't reply, but his expression was answer enough. "Mooning after a prissy, conceited bitch. And even he's out of your league."

"Don't you pretend you're any better than me," Dave countered scathingly. "Apparently you're so damaged that when you see something beautiful you have to try and destroy it. Because you're jealous. You can't stand knowing that someone else has something you'll never be able to have."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about me or you?" Once again, Dave didn't respond verbally, but didn't really need to.

"At least I learned to get past that," he defended. "You're obviously still just a selfish little spoilt brat."

Sebastian ignored the criticism. He'd resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to make any progress with Blaine tonight, he may as well try to have a bit of fun with someone else, and Dave wasn't unattractive. "Fine. You know what? If this is as hopeless as you claim it is, and neither of us have a chance with the people we want, how about we make the most of what we can have?"

"And what's that?"

"Each other."

Dave stared at him incredulously. "We've just spent the last five minutes establishing that we hate each other, and now you're propositioning me?"

Sebastian shrugged. "You're hot. I don't have to like you to appreciate that."

"You're insane."

"Maybe I am. But you can't pretend you don't think I'm hot too."

"What's your name?" Dave avoided commenting on the other boy's assertion.

Sebastian smirked. "So you are interested."

"I never said that."

"I'm Sebastian. You might want to make a note of that so you know what to scream out when–"

"–I'm not going to sleep with you," Dave exasperatedly cut Sebastian off.

"I never said you had to. But just out of curiosity, why not?" When he didn't receive a reply, Sebastian studied Dave's expression. "…Oh, I see. So you're a virgin. Cute. Well how about this: we find somewhere a little more private, and then you're free to decide how far you want to go. No pressure, no strings, just a bit of fun." It wasn't exactly what Sebastian had had in mind, but it was better than nothing, and toying with a pathetic, tormented closet case was sure to be entertaining.

Dave was surprised to realise he was actually giving Sebastian's offer some serious consideration. True, the other boy was clearly a jerk, but Dave had never met another boy that actually wanted to kiss him, and he had no idea when it would happen again. He'd already made a mess of his first kiss, not to mention ruined Kurt's in the process, so what would it really matter if he made out with some random guy? If he decided to wait for some perfect fairytale romance, he could easily end up waiting his entire life. And after all the time he'd spent struggling to accept his sexuality, why shouldn't he explore it a little? Everything about Sebastian screamed 'bad idea,' but…

"What the hell." He eventually replied, managing to keep his voice confident and casual despite how conflicted he felt. "It's not like I'm getting any better offers."

Sebastian led Dave out into the parking lot with a self-satisfied smirk. It was too dark for Dave to recognise the make of the car the other boy unlocked, but it was clearly something flashy and expensive. He found himself being roughly pushed into the leather-upholstered back seat, Sebastian climbing in next to him.

"I'll lead, since I actually know what I'm doing. You just follow and let me know when you want to stop," Sebastian said, before his lips crashed into Dave's.

The kiss was rough and merciless, but it was clear that Sebastian hadn't been lying when he said he knew what he was doing.

Tongues battled, teeth nipped and scraped, fingers dug in hard enough to leave bruises.

Sebastian was impressed by how quickly Dave learnt. He responded enthusiastically without hesitation and wasn't afraid to do a little experimenting of his own. Sebastian decided to try pushing things a little further. His hands began to roam; first exploring Dave's back, then moving lower, making a thorough study of his ass, squeezing lightly, then more firmly. Dave obediently followed his lead.

Sebastian had intended this to be simply an entertaining distraction but he was enjoying it far more than he'd expected to. They shifted positions slightly, and for a moment Sebastian felt the evidence that Dave was enjoying things just as much press against his thigh. He took this as further encouragement and moved his hands to Dave's chest. He gradually worked his way down until they reached the waistband of the other boy's jeans. It was then that Dave finally pulled out of the kiss.

"That's enough," he said once he'd caught his breath. "I don't want to go any further."

"Are you sure?" Sebastian teased. "You look like you could use some help with that." His hand hovered tortuously millimetres above the obvious bulge in the front of Dave's pants.

"I'm sure," Dave replied, though it looked like it took some effort. "Get off me." He pushed Sebastian away and awkwardly climbed out of the car.

"Suit yourself." Sebastian shrugged and moved into the driver's seat. His eyes followed appreciatively as the other boy made his way across the parking lot to his own car.

Sebastian intended to drive straight home but by the time he was halfway there his arousal was still refusing to abate. He parked in the most deserted street he could find and unzipped his fly, calling up his favourite fantasies of dark curly hair, hazel eyes and a smaller body pressed against his own.

However, as he continued, he found the image shifting. Bright hazel gave way to intense brown. He imagined a broader chest and large, muscular arms surrounding him. He wondered what it would be like to feel the hands that had explored his body earlier that night gripping his cock, and his orgasm overtook him almost immediately.

It made sense, he rationalised as he cleaned himself up. The encounter with Dave was still fresh in his mind, and it was only natural that a genuine experience would be more potent than something he could only imagine for now. He still wanted Blaine just as much as he had before. Dave was a bit of fun; a brief entertainment that he would probably never even see again.

It was late when he arrived home, but that didn't really matter. His mother had long ago decided that worrying about him was a wasted effort. She'd given up on him the day he came out. The idea that a gay person could ever have a serious, stable relationship was completely foreign to her. She assumed he'd be promiscuous and fickle, so why should he try to be anything more? At least no one could ever claim he hadn't lived up to her expectations.

He collapsed into bed, falling into dreams that became a tangle of shifting images.

_Blaine. Dave. Blaine. Dave. Blaine._

* * *

><p>Over the next week, Sebastian succeeded in forcing any lingering thoughts about Dave to the back of his mind. The following Friday, he found himself decidedly lacking in entertainment. From the obnoxiously syrupy love notes that had saturated his facebook feed, he gathered that Kurt and Blaine were out on a date; and the rest of the Warblers were locked in one of their epic video game battles, which Sebastian rarely took part in. It was much more fun to manipulate real people than computer-generated characters. He decided to visit Scandals on his own to find a way to alleviate his boredom.<p>

Unfortunately, the gay bar appeared to be having a slow night. The guys that were there were all too old, too creepy, already paired off, or all of the above. Sebastian was about to concede defeat and go home when he noticed a familiar hunched figure sitting at the bar, hiding under a baseball cap. Normally he made a point of not fooling around with the same person twice, but he figured that it couldn't hurt to make an exception just this once. He didn't have any better options and Dave had been… entertaining last time. Besides, they hadn't even made it to second base, and Sebastian was curious to see if he might be able to push Dave little further this time.

"You realise you look pathetic sitting here by yourself," he said, claiming the barstool next to the other boy.

"So… what? You're here to save me from looking like a sad loner?"

"I'm just that nice."

Dave snorted. "Sebastian, there are many words I would use to describe you, but 'nice' sure isn't one of them."

"Nice is overrated," Sebastian replied with a shrug. "So. I'm bored, and as fascinating as the label on your beer bottle must be, considering how intently you're studying it, I'm sure I could be much more entertaining."

"You appear out of nowhere, insult me, and then think you can just pick me up?"

"It worked last time," Sebastian pointed out smugly.

Dave sighed. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to be distracted."

"And what exactly am I supposed to be distracting you from?"

"Why would I tell you that?"

"I guess I figured that if we're going to do the whole 'friends with benefits' thing, we may need to work on the 'friends' part."

Sebastian laughed. "Cute, but no. There is no 'thing' between me and you. There never will be. It was supposed to be a one time deal, but since this town sucks and I don't have any other options tonight, you're getting a second round. You should be flattered; I don't give second chances very often."

Dave rolled his eyes. "So, saying you do somehow manage to get Blaine, are you going to kick him to the kerb after one night?"

"Of course not. It'll be at least a couple of weeks before I get bored with him."

"Nice."

"I thought you said you'd never use that word to describe me."

"I hate you."

"Good." Sebastian grinned. "It's more fun that way. So are you in?"

Dave wasn't quite sure how it happened, but he found himself nodding and following Sebastian outside. Everything went much the same way it had the last time they were together until Sebastian's hands found their way under the hem of Dave's shirt. They burned across his bare skin, stimulating nerve endings he didn't even know he had. Dave hurried to copy Sebastian's actions. It felt amazing to be able to explore a body that wasn't his own. The sensation of touching and being touched by another boy was electrifying. Dave's fingers inadvertently brushed a nipple, causing Sebastian to tense and falter slightly, releasing a soft groan that was muffled by Dave's mouth. Being able to provoke that reaction from Sebastian, who was always so cool and confident, gave Dave a certain amount of smug satisfaction. Sebastian roughly pushed Dave down so he was lying on his back and climbed on top of him. Dave could feel the other boy's erection pressing against his hip, and that was pretty damn satisfying too. Sebastian's mouth moved to attack Dave's neck and Dave turned his head to give him better access. Dave didn't want it to end, but he knew that he had to call it off before his arousal overruled his better judgment.

"We need to stop," he panted, lightly shoving Sebastian away.

Sebastian sighed heavily. "Fine. If we must." He reluctantly climbed off Dave, but not before taking a moment to admire how debauched the other boy looked. He was particularly proud of the marks he'd left on Dave's neck.

Dave sat up, but didn't immediately get out of the car. He needed to catch his breath and wasn't entirely confident that his legs would hold him if he tried to stand up.

"Was that distracting enough for you?"

"I'm certainly not complaining." Sebastian's arrogant smirk had returned but he still looked less composed than Dave had ever seen him before.

For a moment there was no sound in the car except for their heavy breathing. They both pretended not to notice the fact that they were still leaning against each other.

"Are you planning on leaving any time soon?" Sebastian asked eventually. "Because I really need to jerk off after that. Though, on second thought, you're welcome to watch if you want."

Dave's eyes widened. "I'm leaving," he said hoarsely, exiting the car as quickly as he could.

* * *

><p>That was supposed to be the end. They'd had their fling, plus a little something extra, and now it was over. That was the way Sebastian did things. Anything else and you risked things getting too complicated. But somehow, the following Wednesday, they both ended up back in Sebastian's car. Then it happened again. And then again two weeks after that. Every time, Sebastian swore to himself that it was the last time, and every time, he broke that promise. It was as if there was some magnetic force that kept drawing them together no matter how hard he tried to stay away. He even found himself leaving Scandals with Dave on nights where he could have had his choice of a number of other prospects who would have been willing to go a lot further. Even more disturbingly, there was a deeply buried part of Sebastian that was starting to look forward to their conversations, hostile as they were, as much as their make out sessions. There was something electric that sparked between them and it was addictive. It always went the same way. A few insults, a little banter, and then they'd maul each other until Dave decided they'd gone far enough. Sometimes it went on for a little longer than that.<p>

"You said this was supposed to be a one time deal," Dave breathlessly reminded Sebastian as they both struggled to regain their composure after a particularly heated encounter. "So why do you keep coming back to me?"

"Why do you keep taking me back?" Sebastian deflected.

"I asked first."

"Fine. I don't know, ok?" He glared petulantly at the back of the seat in front of him, refusing to look at Dave. "I don't like not knowing things. It doesn't happen to me often."

"You're lying to yourself," Dave accused. "There's a reason and we both know it. You're just too scared to admit it to yourself."

"Right, because you'd know." Sebastian's voice was drenched in bitter sarcasm.

"I would, actually. I've spent most of my life lying to myself. 'I just haven't found the right girl yet;' 'I was looking at Brittany, not Puck, when I got that boner in English class;' 'I hate Kurt because I think he's disgusting, not because I'm scared I might be just like him.' I know all about lying to yourself. I'm the king of lying to yourself. So, yeah, I know what I'm talking about."

Sebastian wanted to be angry or offended or a whole heap of other, much more dignified, emotions, but he couldn't deny his amusement, nor could he hold back a very inelegant chuckle. "'The king of lying to yourself?' That's the most ridiculous title I've ever heard." Oh well, at least it saved him from having to admit that Dave could be right.

"Shut up, I was making a point," Dave muttered defensively, glad that it was too dark for Sebastian to see him blush. "I _may_ have gone a little overboard."

"A little?"

"Ok, a lot." Dave couldn't help laughing a little as well.

Their eyes met, and they both suddenly realised they were acting almost like friends, which was definitely _not_ in their unspoken agreement. This was why Sebastian had decided it was too dangerous to hook up with the same person more than once. There was too much risk of Dave developing actual feelings for him. He refused to consider the possibility that he was just as scared of the reverse.

"I think you should go," Sebastian said tightly, his expression hardening.

"Fine, if that's what you want."

_It isn't. _"It is."

* * *

><p>When Dave didn't see Sebastian for weeks following that conversation, he figured he'd destroyed whatever it was they had by pushing too far. It was probably for the best. Dave had known from the start that getting involved with Sebastian in any way was a bad idea.<p>

Sebastian did his best to avoid Scandals and returned to his efforts to seduce Blaine, which he'd inexplicably ended up neglecting of late. Somehow, though, it wasn't as much fun as it used to be. His attempt to stay away from Dave failed once again a few weeks after their last encounter. He was in a foul mood because he'd missed out on a solo; Blaine was still sickeningly in love with Kurt and oblivious to his advances; and, worst of all, his uncle was in town. He desperately needed a drink, and Scandals was the easiest place to get one. Or more than one, which was sounding like a very appealing idea at that moment. The people that ran Scandals were usually pretty lax when it came to checking IDs because they understood how difficult and lonely it could be to be a gay teenager in a small, homophobic town.

Dave didn't immediately recognise the person sitting at the other end of the bar. It was difficult to reconcile the slumped, dejected figure with the cocky, self-assured boy he was familiar with, but it was undoubtedly Sebastian. He cautiously made his way over to the other boy.

"Haven't seen you around here for a while," Dave commented warily. He had no idea how Sebastian might react when he was this drunk, especially after what had happened the last time they met.

"S'because you're always here making me want you too much," Sebastian slurred. "I don't want to want you. Not like this; like it could mean something."

"Ok, I think you'd better stop talking before you say something you'll regret, if you haven't already. Come on, I'll drive you home."

Sebastian shook his head violently. "No. Don't wanna go home."

"Well what exactly are you planning to do when the bar closes?"

Apparently, Sebastian hadn't thought about that, because he looked puzzled for a moment before replying "Sleep in my car?"

"Not good enough. I'm taking you home."

"No!" Sebastian replied adamantly. "Uncle Edward's there."

Dave's patience was wearing thin. Talking to Sebastian when he was drunk was like talking to a petulant two year old. Though, come to think of it, he wasn't much better when he was sober. "And what exactly is so terrible about your uncle that you'd rather sleep in your car in the parking lot of a seedy bar than go home?"

"Hates me." Sebastian shrugged glumly. "Can't even _look_ at me without telling me I'm disgusting and wrong and he can't believe my mother hasn't disowned me yet. And _she_ never says anything against him. She always chooses her brother over me."

Dave sighed. "Well I can't just leave you here. Do you want to stay at my place?"

"No."

"Well, tough, because I don't know what else to do with you."

He managed to lead Sebastian, who was reluctant but apparently couldn't find the energy to resist, out to his car.

"You should call your mom so she doesn't worry when you don't come home," Dave suggested as he spread a blanket over the couch.

"She won't care," Sebastian said, sounding as if it was a fact he'd resigned himself to long ago. "I'm a lost cause. Her worthless fag of a son who looks too much like the guy who married her for her money, spent half of it buying stupid fancy cars that he loved more than he ever loved us, then got himself killed driving one of them to visit some cheap whore."

Dave shifted uncomfortably. He knew he was hearing things he wasn't meant to. Sebastian would never say all this normally but apparently too much alcohol combined with a bad day caused him to lament everything that was wrong with his life.

"Give me your phone. I'll call her. You're in no state to talk to anyone anyway."

"Why do you care?" Sebastian asked, genuine confusion evident in his expression. "You shouldn't care about me… I mean I shouldn't care about you… I mean… I don't know what I mean."

"Just give me your phone and go to sleep," Dave said, gently guiding Sebastian to lie down on the couch. Sebastian complied, but not before giving Dave one last searching look.

Once he was sure Sebastian was asleep, Dave found the number saved under 'home' in his phone and dialled it. A tired sounding woman answered.

"Hi, this is Dave Karofsky. I'm a friend of Sebastian's. I'm sorry to call so late but I thought I'd better let you know he's staying at my place tonight. He's had a bit too much to drink and he wouldn't let me drive him home so I brought him back here. I hope that's ok with you."

"Are you asking permission to sleep with my son?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your little cover story is cute but completely unnecessary. I know what Sebastian is. So don't bother me again." She abruptly hung up, leaving Dave staring at the phone in disbelief. Despite what Sebastian had said, Dave hadn't truly thought a mother could be so dismissive of her son. Even through all the bullying and destructive behaviour that must have been mystifying to his own parents, they'd never given up trying to understand what was wrong with him.

Looking at the sleeping boy, Dave ran a hand over his face. He'd learned far more in one night than Sebastian would ever want him to know. He wished he could forget all about it for both their sakes, but he couldn't prevent it from changing the way he viewed Sebastian. It was easier now to understand why he was so afraid of allowing himself to care about anyone. Noticing that the blanket had slipped off Sebastian's shoulders a little, Dave carefully pulled it back up before retiring to his own bed, hoping that his dreams might somehow present him with a solution.

The next morning, Dave woke to a gentle knock on his bedroom door. He opened his eyes to find his father standing in the doorway.

"Care to tell me why there's a strange boy asleep on our couch?" Paul asked.

"Uh, yeah, that would be Sebastian," Dave explained sheepishly. "He had a few too many drinks at the party last night." Dave thanked God he'd chosen a party as his alibi when he went out to Scandals the previous night. If he'd used his other favourite excuse, 'I'm studying at a friend's house,' it would have been much more difficult to explain. "He didn't want to go home and he's kind of impossible to argue with when he's drunk so I brought him back here."

"Why didn't he want to go home?" Dave's father asked, looking concerned.

"Um, well, he's gay, and his uncle, who's really homophobic, is visiting at the moment." Dave held his breath while he waited to see how his father would react to that particular piece of information. Paul's eyes widened, but not for the reason Dave had feared.

"I have to say I'm a little impressed. –Not that you went to a party where there was that much alcohol available, we'll definitely talk about that later– but a few months ago I'm not sure you would have even considered helping a boy you knew was gay."

Dave looked down, ashamed. "You're right, I wouldn't have. I… I've figured a few things out since then. I'm not ready to say any more than that just yet, but I think I might be soon."

"Well… just let me know when you are ready, I guess. And now you'd better go and see to your friend. I think he may have just woken up."

Dave winced as he too heard the unmistakeable sound of retching emanating from the direction of the bathroom. "I think you may be right."

* * *

><p>Sebastian would have been content to never see Dave again after that particular incident. His recollections of the night weren't exactly clear but he remembered enough to know that he'd completely humiliated himself. However, he found himself back at Scandals only a week later and, when he noticed Dave sitting at the bar looking unusually happy, his curiosity got the better of him.<p>

"What's got you looking so chipper?" Sebastian asked, trying his best to sound like he didn't actually care.

A brief look of surprise at seeing Sebastian standing beside him crossed Dave's face but it only lasted a split second before he answered. "I came out to my parents last night."

"I take it it went well?"

Dave rolled his eyes. "No, of course not, I'm happy because it went terribly."

"Touché." Sebastian sat down beside Dave but didn't say anything further at first. He wanted to know more but the little voice in his head that had always protected him kept insisting that showing too much interest was a bad idea. _You're getting too close. There'll be no chance of pretending you don't care. To him or to yourself._ "How come you suddenly decided to jump out of the closet? Up till now you've seemed pretty hell bent on staying in Narnia for the rest of your life." Somehow, where Dave was concerned, that voice never seemed to be able to win.

"A few days ago my friend Ben just straight up asked me if I was gay. It was so out of the blue I didn't have time to come up with a convincing enough lie, but… he was actually really cool about it. And I figured that if he can be comfortable with it when he's about as close to the stereotypical straight, popular, football-playing, all-American guy as you can get and he's only known me a couple of months, maybe it's about time I gave my parents a chance."

"How did your friend figure it out?" _Just stop talking. _Now_. Stop asking questions. _

Dave shrugged. "He kept trying to set me up with girls. I kept making excuses. Turns out he's more perceptive than I gave him credit for."

"Why didn't you just date one of the girls?" _Fine. Do what you want. While you're at it, you may as well tell him that every word of your drunken ramblings was true._

"Because I promised myself that even though I'm nowhere near ready to be out yet, I'm going to try to avoid pretending to be something I'm not as much as possible."

"Cool. That sounds… noble… or something."

Dave laughed. "It sounds stupid, I know, but… last time I tried to be what everyone else wanted me to be, it all went to hell and I ended up doing things I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for."

Sebastian decided he needed to change the topic of the conversation quickly. It was getting far too deep and meaningful for his liking. "So, you've effectively come out to your best friend and your parents within the last week. I think that calls for a celebration. Care to join me in my car?"

"You think making out with you in the back seat of your car constitutes a celebration?"

"Well what better way to celebrate coming out than by being as gay as possible?"

"So that's your pick up line for tonight, is it?"

"Yep. So shall we go now?"

"I haven't said yes yet."

"But you're about to."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You've never said no before."

"There's a first time for everything."

"Is this it?"

Dave paused. "No," he reluctantly admitted, before following a smirking Sebastian out of the bar.

* * *

><p>Afterwards, they sat for a long time in the darkness of the car, neither of them saying a word. There was no sound except for the faint music emanating from the bar and the occasional car driving along the street as they both lost themselves in their own thoughts. The entire left side of Dave's body was in contact with Sebastian's right. They'd been there far too long to pretend that they were simply recovering from their earlier activities, but, still, Dave didn't leave and Sebastian didn't tell him to. Eventually, Dave broke the silence.<p>

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can. I can't guarantee I'll answer."

"Why did you come here tonight? Last time we even came close to talking about something personal you avoided this place for weeks just to stay away from me."

"I needed to get out of the house. My uncle's still there."

Dave suspected that wasn't the only reason, but he knew Sebastian wasn't likely to say any more. "Oh. Sorry."

"I don't want you feeling sorry for me," Sebastian said, his tone coloured by something dark and bitter. _Sorry means you care, and I don't want you to care about me. At least, I _shouldn't _want you to care about me._

For a time, silence reigned once more. Dave studied the back of the seat in front of him. It wasn't a new car, he realised. Expensive, definitely, but not new. A couple of decades old at least. He'd noticed that before, but hadn't realised the significance until now.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"If you must." Sebastian could tell from Dave's tone that he was going to be even less comfortable about answering this question. He'd inevitably end up answering it though. It was getting increasingly difficult to hold anything back from Dave.

"Was this one of your dad's cars? You said something about him buying fancy cars, and this one definitely fits that description."

"Yes," Sebastian confirmed tightly, "it was." He hadn't intended to say anything further, but somehow he found himself continuing. "My mother never got around to selling them. When I got my license, I figured that since my father wasn't much use to me when he was alive, I may as well get some benefit from him now. I was only three when he died, and he never exactly had much time for me."

Dave wasn't sure how to respond to that, and Sebastian certainly wasn't planning on sharing any more of his personal demons, so they once again slipped into silence for a moment.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" Dave asked suddenly.

"Why? Can't get enough of me?" Sebastian was relieved to be able to sneak back behind his familiar shield of arrogance.

Dave ignored the comment. "Ben's having a party. I thought you might like to come."

"Are you asking me to be your date?"

"Of course not. No one else who's going knows I'm gay, remember? I'm asking you to come as my friend, or… acquaintance, or whatever the hell we are."

Sebastian smiled wryly. "Yeah. Whatever the hell we are."

"Look, I'm giving you an excuse to get out of your house and away from your uncle for the night. So are you going to take it or not?"

"We'll see. Give me the address."

* * *

><p>Dave had been at the party for over an hour before he noticed a familiar meticulously-styled head of hair entering through the doorway, which he most definitely <em>hadn't<em> been glancing at every five minutes. He swiftly made his way through the crowd to where Sebastian was standing, looking like he couldn't quite believe he was there.

"I wasn't sure you'd come," Dave said by way of greeting.

"Neither was I, but apparently I did. So, since you've dragged me to this thing, are you at least going to dance with me?"

Dave looked around the crowded room nervously. "Um… maybe later."

"Right. I almost forgot. Wouldn't want to give your 'friends' any reason to think you might not be completely heterosexual. Want to point me towards the beer then?"

Dave got Sebastian a drink and, after a moment's consideration, got another one for himself too. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

Ben, noticing that there was a stranger in his house, made his way over to Dave and Sebastian.

"Hey, no offense or anything, but I don't seem to remember inviting you."

"Uh, no, um, I did," Dave explained. "I hope that's ok."

"Of course it is, I was just wondering." Ben held out a hand to Sebastian. "I'm Ben."

"Sebastian."

"So are you a friend of Dave's from McKinley?"

Whatever Sebastian was about to reply was interrupted by a very tipsy looking girl who Dave recognised as one of the less intelligent cheerleaders (which was saying a lot).

"Wow, you're like really hot," she told Sebastian. "Like, _really_ hot. You wanna dance with me? And then make out? And then–"

"–Look, I'm flattered and everything," Sebastian cut her off, "but I'm gay. Sorry."

"So you don't want to make out with me?"

"That would be a no."

As the disappointed girl walked away, searching for a new target, Ben glanced between Dave and Sebastian.

"Ah," he said, with a knowing glint in his eye, "I see."

"No you don't," Dave quickly contradicted. "We're… it's not like that."

"Whatever you say. I'll leave you two alone."

Sebastian swallowed the last of his beer and handed the empty cup to Dave. "Well, if you're not going to dance with me, I'm going to go find someone who will. Later."

He made his way into the crowd and proceeded to dance with anyone who was willing. If any of his partners noticed that he kept glancing back at Dave to see if the other boy was jealous, they didn't mention it.

Dave was starting on yet another drink, watching Sebastian dance with yet another girl, when he felt someone else's gaze. He turned to see his friend Luke, and Maddy, Luke's girlfriend, looking furtively in his direction as they talked softly, or at least, what counted for softly in a room full of blasting music. Realising they'd been caught, Maddy made her way over to Dave.

"Come on," she said, taking his arm. "I'd be a terrible friend if I saw you standing here all by yourself and I didn't at least offer you a dance."

Dave warily allowed her to lead him onto the makeshift dance floor.

"So, I take it none of the _girls_ here have caught your eye?" Maddy began. Dave paled at the way she emphasised the word 'girls.' "The two of you are on opposite sides of the room and you still can't seem to keep your eyes off each other," Maddy continued sympathetically, "it wasn't that hard to figure out. Relax. It doesn't bother me or Luke, and I don't think anyone else has noticed. Well, except maybe Melissa, but, honestly, I'm surprised you've managed to keep it from her this long. She's scarily perceptive about those kinds of things."

"Um, Can you–"

"–I won't tell anyone. And I'll make sure Melissa doesn't either. I don't think I can stop her from telling Riley, but he won't care; his sister's gay."

"Oh… ok."

"Are you alright? You look a little overwhelmed."

"Well apparently I've gone from being completely closeted, to being out to my parents and five of my friends in less than a week. It's kind of a lot to take in."

Maddy smirked, looking at something over Dave's shoulder. "It may interest you to know that your boyfriend's watching us."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Well maybe you should change that. At least go and dance with him. Anyone who's sober enough to notice will just assume you're drunk." She gave Dave a firm shove in Sebastian's direction and went to rejoin her boyfriend.

Dave nervously made his way over to Sebastian. "So, I, um, think I may have promised you a dance."

"You did. Does this mean I'm actually going to get it?"

"I guess it does."

Neither of them minded that, in the crowded room, they had no choice but to dance close to each other.

When the song they were dancing to ended and was replaced by one that was much slower, Sebastian wasn't in the least surprised that Dave moved away, though he did find himself feeling slightly disappointed. He followed the retreating boy, grabbing his arm and leading him out of the room. The hallway they ended up in was completely deserted and Sebastian took advantage of the privacy, moving closer to Dave.

"What are you doing?" Dave asked.

"Our dance got interrupted," Sebastian explained, his arms wrapping around Dave's waist. "I'm finishing it."

"Ok, one: someone could walk in here at any moment, and two: since when are you the slow dance type?"

"I don't know, since I met you and everything got confusing? Since that last beer that I probably shouldn't have had?" Sebastian leaned closer as he was speaking; their faces were now only a few inches apart.

They heard a door open somewhere along the hallway and Dave jumped away from Sebastian as if he'd been burned. Turning towards the noise, they saw Dave's friends Riley and Melissa exiting one of the rooms looking suspiciously ruffled. The drunkenly giggling couple stumbled past Dave and Sebastian and returned to the main party, but not before Dave heard Melissa whisper to her boyfriend "See? I told you."

Sebastian quickly dragged Dave into the recently vacated room. It was a bedroom, probably a guest room judging by the minimal furnishings and the miscellaneous junk on the floor that appeared to have been swept off the bed by the previous occupants. Dave tried not to think about what his friends must have been doing in there, and then suddenly found himself unable to think of anything at all when Sebastian's lips attached themselves to his own.

"I've been dying to do that all night," Sebastian confessed when they finally came up for air. "You're so frustrating. I've never wanted anyone like this before." He didn't appear to realise he'd spoken that last sentence out loud.

Dave glanced nervously towards the door.

"Relax, I locked it," Sebastian reassured him. "We can do whatever we want."

Dave gave in to the temptation to crash their lips together once more. For a moment, he thought he sensed something in the kiss that could have almost been tenderness, but then it was gone and there was only raw lust.

Sebastian's hands snaked up under Dave's shirt before roughly pulling it off, his own shirt joining it on the floor seconds later. Dave's hands rushed to explore every inch of newly revealed skin, then his mouth traced the same path. Sebastian was rapidly losing any semblance of composure, unable to prevent himself from groaning every time Dave's tongue or teeth discovered a particularly sensitive spot. Needing to regain control, he pushed Dave down onto the bed, climbing on top of him and straddling his hips. As Sebastian leant down to press his lips back to Dave's, he "accidentally" caused their groins to brush against each other, extracting a gasp of surprise and pleasure from the boy beneath him.

Normally, Dave would have stopped things at this point, but alcohol had washed away his inhibitions, so instead of pushing Sebastian away, he pulled him closer and they began to grind against each other in earnest. Sebastian's hands slipped in between them, undoing first Dave's jeans then his own, pulling them down just enough to free their aching erections. He wrapped his hand around them both, and Dave cried out at the sudden contact, glad that Sebastian's mouth was there to swallow the sound. They lost themselves in sensation, unaware of anything except each other's bodies and the places they touched. It wasn't long before Dave's orgasm crashed over him and Sebastian immediately followed, pushed over the edge by the image of Dave's face contorting in ecstasy and the feeling of Dave's cock pulsing alongside his own.

When Sebastian came back to his senses, he used the box of tissues he found on the bedside table to roughly clean them both up before collapsing back onto the bed, lying half on top of Dave. They both re-fastened their pants but neither of them could seem to find the energy or desire to locate their shirts. Sebastian knew he should get up; leave; brush this off as if it was just another meaningless one night stand, but he couldn't seem to make himself move. Dave was comfortable and warm and smelt good, and the only movement Sebastian made was to settle himself into a more comfortable position. His fingers, seemingly off their own accord, wrapped themselves around Dave's wrist as they both drifted into sleep.

* * *

><p>When Dave woke, he was alone. The only evidence that Sebastian had been there at all was the blanket he'd covered Dave with before he left. When Dave managed to focus his eyes enough to read his watch he saw that it was 7am. He found his shirt where it had been discarded the night before and lethargically made his way out of the room. Dave clearly wasn't the only person who had inadvertently spent the night but those that were awake were too busy nursing their hangovers to pay him much attention. He found Ben in the kitchen looking considerably worse for wear, though not as bad as most of the others Dave had passed. Ben wordlessly pushed a pack of painkillers towards Dave, who gratefully accepted them.<p>

"I don't suppose you've seen Sebastian…" Dave asked hesitantly.

"He left about an hour ago," Ben's voice was sympathetic. "Looked like he was in a hurry. You feel like telling me what's going on between you two?"

"It's… complicated."

The look on Ben's face told Dave he wasn't going to be able to avoid the question that easily. "It usually is complicated, that's why facebook has it as an option for your relationship status. So how about you elaborate a bit?"

Dave sighed. "Basically, he knows I like him and I know he likes me, but he's too stubborn to admit he could be attracted to someone in a way that isn't purely physical."

"That sucks."

Dave laughed humourlessly. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I need to end it one way or another; I'm just going to have to force him to actually talk about it for once."

"Well, good luck with that, I guess."

"Thanks. Sorry, I'd stay and help you clean up, but I need to get home before my parents realise I stayed out all night."

"It's fine. My parents won't be home till Wednesday anyway."

"I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow then. And… thanks for…" Dave's tired and hung over brain struggled to figure out how to translate his thoughts into coherent words. "I mean, I never even imagined that I'd find friends that were ok with me being gay, let alone willing to talk about stuff like this. Just… thanks."

Ben shrugged casually. "No problem, man." And Dave could see that it really wasn't. Ben wasn't just tolerant of Dave's sexuality; it genuinely didn't matter to him. "Now get out of here because I don't think I'm the person you need to be talking to right now."

It wasn't until Dave got home that he realised he'd never actually managed to get Sebastian's phone number. It was one of the consequences of the warbler's insistence that their assignations were nothing more than a series of completely coincidental one night stands. All he could do was go to Scandals that night and hope Sebastian showed up.

He spent the entire day in a state of restless energy, unable to focus on anything for long without thoughts of Sebastian forcing their way into his mind. A phone call to Santana, who he'd kind of accidentally become friends with towards the end of his last year at McKinley, helped a little, but the day still seemed to stretch out endlessly.

By the time he arrived at Scandals, he couldn't even remember what excuse he'd yelled out to his parents as he walked out the door. He hoped it had been a convincing one. He was surprised and relieved to find the source of his frustration already seated at the bar.

"We need to talk," Dave said softly when he approached Sebastian.

"I figured you'd say that," Sebastian sighed, turning to look at Dave with resignation etched in his features.

"Outside?" Dave suggested.

Sebastian nodded and wordlessly followed him out of the bar.

"You wanted to talk, so talk," Sebastian said after the door closed behind them.

It took Dave a moment to figure out how to begin. "I… I can't do this anymore. I like you a hell of a lot, which probably doesn't say much for my sanity, but I'm sick of being stuck in limbo like this. You need to decide what you want, once and for all. So do you like me or not?"

"I– you're nothing a pathetic, closeted Lima loser who's destined to spend the rest of your sad little life in this loser town."

"You didn't answer my question." Dave calmly pointed out, undeterred by the insults. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't have feelings for me."

"Fine. I don't–" Sebastian began, before his eyes connected with Dave's unrelenting gaze, which somehow seemed to be able to burn right through the thick walls he'd built to protect his heart. "I-I don't… _Fuck._" He turned away from Dave, glaring out at the deserted parking lot.

"Look, I know exactly what it's like to feel something you don't want to feel." Dave's hand ghosted over Sebastian's arm as he spoke. "And in my experience, trying to fight it just ends up making you even more miserable."

"I'm scared," Sebastian quietly admitted, still refusing to meet Dave's eyes.

"And you think I'm not?" Dave's frustration was starting to get the better of him. "It wasn't that long ago that I was terrified of even being attracted to guys, let alone dating one. We're both taking a risk here; the difference is _I'm_ crazy enough to think you might actually be worth it." Dave reached up to cup Sebastian's cheek, forcing the other boy to turn his head towards him. "For once in your life, do something that scares you."

Sebastian turned his body so he was facing Dave properly. His hands came to rest on the other boy's hips as he closed the distance between them. They'd kissed countless times before, but never like this. It was tender and passionate and filled with all the emotions Sebastian was afraid to put a name to. It wasn't until their need for oxygen overcame their need for each other that they reluctantly broke apart.

"How was that?" Sebastian asked once he managed to remember how to speak.

Dave smiled. "That was a very promising start."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This idea appeared in my head out of nowhere, formed itself into a story within a couple of hours, and then refused to leave until I wrote it down. It also refused to divide itself up into chapters. I did originally have plans for a second part, but I think I'm going to leave it as it is, at least for now. (That's why I introduced so many random OCs during the party scene - sorry about that.) For anyone reading The Road to Freedom, I'll get back to work on it soon, I promise.**

**Update: I will write a second part showing the development of their relationship but I'm not sure how long it's going to take to finish it. Probably a few weeks at the very least.**


	2. Part 2

Sebastian examined himself in the mirror for what was probably the thousandth time that evening. He was confident that he looked stunningly attractive, but he couldn't seem to stop second guessing himself. Maybe he looked a little _too_ hot? He didn't want to remind Dave of the fact that he'd spent most of his free time for the last couple of years having casual sex with random strangers…

_This is ridiculous. It's just a date._

After forcing Sebastian to admit to his feelings, Dave had decided that it was probably about time the two of them went on an actual date, since that was what normal couples did after realising they were attracted to each other. Not that their relationship resembled anything that could be called 'normal.'

As Sebastian double checked that his hair was perfectly arranged, he started to wonder whether the shirt he'd discarded twenty minutes ago mightn't be more appropriate.

_Damn, what the hell has Dave done to me?_

He'd never been even remotely nervous about a date before, not that he'd been on many actual dates. There hadn't been many guys he'd considered worth that amount of effort just to get them into bed. And now, for the first time, sex wasn't his primary objective, which was an unsettling thought. Dave… well, he meant more than Sebastian was ready to acknowledge just yet.

Sebastian was relieved when the doorbell interrupted his thoughts. It was too late to change anything now, so there was no point worrying about it. He opened the door to Dave, who greeted him with a slightly shy but genuine smile that sent a rush of warmth spreading through his chest (not to mention certain other areas). Dave looked… well, he looked like Dave, which basically meant he looked fucking amazing.

_Oh God, I sound like some inane pre-teen girl with a crush._

Sebastian decided that opening their conversation by saying something politely complementary about Dave's appearance was far too much of a cliché, so instead he very unsubtly and appreciatively raked his eyes over the boy standing on the doorstep. It was apparently just as effective judging by the way Dave's cheeks coloured as he checked Sebastian out a little more discreetly.

"I'd tell you you look hot," Dave said, "but I think you already know that, so how about we skip the awkward small talk and just get going."

"Fine by me. Where exactly are we going, if I may ask?"

"I was thinking Breadstix. I know it's not the most exciting place for a date but I figured maybe we should try to keep things as simple as possible for now." The 'since we inevitably manage to make things complicated just by being in the same room' went unspoken but Sebastian heard it loud and clear.

"Fair enough. Actually I'm surprised you're willing to go somewhere so public. Aren't you worried about being seen?"

Dave shrugged uncomfortably, ashamed that he wasn't ready to be as open about his sexuality as Sebastian was. "It's far enough away from my new school, and if anyone from McKinley sees me, well, it's not like I'm ever going back there and I kind of figure they deserve to know the truth after all the all the crap I pulled."

"What are you going to do if you do see someone you know?"

"I'll… cross that bridge when and if I come to it. And I promise we'll go somewhere better for our second date."

"That's a little presumptuous," Sebastian teased. "Are you sure you're going to get a second date?"

"Pretty sure, yeah."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because you've never been able to stay away from me before." Dave's intermittent bursts of confidence were nothing compared to Sebastian's constant air of arrogance but somehow that just made them all the more sexy.

Sebastian sighed with exaggerated ruefulness. "I really wish I could deny that but it's true. Come on, we'd better get going before I give in to the temptation to just drag you inside and have my wicked way with you."

"Yeah, that would kind of defeat the purpose of us going on a proper date for once."

When they arrived at the restaurant they both tried their best to stick to safe, casual conversation topics. It struck Sebastian that despite the fact that they both felt they _knew_ each other pretty well, they knew surprisingly little _about_ one another.

"How many countries have you lived in?" Dave asked after Sebastian shared a random anecdote about Paris, where he'd lived for the past three years.

"Four. We lived in London for a few years right after my father died and we moved to Rome when I was eleven and stayed there for about two years. We lived in New York for a while too. My mother always seems to feel obligated to come back here to the old family home, but she can never stand to be here for more than a few years. It's always about obligation with her. She was obligated to stay married to my father even after she realised what an asshole he was; obligated to keep me around even though she can hardly stand the sight of me…" Sebastian was glaring at the table, long-held bitterness etched in his features.

Dave wasn't sure what to say. He considered holding Sebastian's hand, but decided it probably wasn't the best idea since the other boy was so resistant to the idea of anything that might be seen as 'couple-y.' Instead, he moved his hand closer to Sebastian's where it was resting in the table so that they were just lightly touching. The corners of Sebastian's mouth quirked up slightly in acknowledgement of the gesture.

"Well she must be blind if she can't see how amazing you are," Dave said eventually.

Sebastian looked up at the other boy in surprise. Sure, he'd been called 'amazing' plenty of times before, but it had never meant more than 'you're hot and a good fuck.' Hearing it from Dave was a completely different story. He said it almost offhandedly, but with complete sincerity.

Before Sebastian could figure out how to reply, something behind him caught Dave's eye, causing him to pale.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian asked, his hand coming to rest on top of Dave's before he'd even realised he'd moved it. It wasn't the kind of action that had ever come naturally to him before, but somehow with Dave it felt right.

"Kurt's stepbrother and his girlfriend just walked in," Dave murmured softly so the people in question wouldn't hear him.

"Do you want to leave?"

Dave appeared to consider the idea for a brief moment but shook his head. "No, let's just pretend we haven't seen them."

It was at that moment that Finn noticed them, his expression changing from initial surprise to complete shock and confusion when his eyes fell on their joined hands. He appeared to be about to take a step towards them, but Rachel, who had followed his gaze, quickly ushered him away to a table on the opposite side of the restaurant.

Dave tried his best to continue the date as if nothing had happened, but seeing his former classmates had thrown him and he couldn't seem to get over it. Small but persistent worries kept creeping into his head.

_What if they tell Kurt? How can I even begin to explain this to him? What if it had been someone else, like Azimio, or, hell, pretty much anyone on the football team? They wouldn't just let their girlfriends lead them away, and I'm nowhere near ready to deal with that kind of confrontation. Coming here was a bad idea. A really bad, stupid, insane idea._

Dave's self-confidence had been steadily improving of late, especially since meeting Sebastian, but it had a tendency to completely desert him at the wost possible moment.

Sebastian noticed the change in Dave's demeanour and realised that they weren't going to be able to slip back into the comfortable flow of conversation they'd maintained until now as long as they stayed at Breadstix. "Come on," he said regretfully but understandingly, signalling to a passing waitress to bring them the bill. "Let's get out of here."

"I'm sorry," Dave apologised as they made there way out to his car. "I really thought I could handle it, right up until, well, I couldn't."

"It's ok," Sebastian reassured him. "I know this isn't easy for you. But… you do realise I'm not going to be able to stay in the closet with you forever, right?"

Dave sighed. "I know. I don't expect you to. I… I'm trying, ok? But it's going to take time. Are you ok with that?"

"Yeah, I can deal with it. Just as long as we're on the same page here. I mean, we both knew from the start this was never going to be easy, right? But it's worth it." Sebastian smiled softly. "You're worth it," he added so quietly Dave barely heard him despite how close together they were standing.

Dave desperately wanted to kiss Sebastian right there and then but he couldn't ignore that they were in a very public place. Anyone looking out one of the windows of the restaurant or passing by on the street would be able to see them. So instead, they wordlessly climbed into the car.

They travelled back to Sebastian's house in comfortable silence. They'd considered continuing their date somewhere else, but Lima didn't exactly provide them with a lot of options.

"Do you want to come inside?" Sebastian asked after Dave turned off the ignition.

Dave wanted to, he really did, but he knew what would happen if he entered Sebastian's house, and, while he wanted that too, he knew it was a bad idea. "Not this time," he replied apologetically. "I mean, technically it is only our first date, and… I just think maybe we should take things slow for the moment. The physical side of our relationship has never exactly been a problem; it's the other stuff we need to work on right now."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Sebastian reluctantly conceded. "You can't blame me for wanting you though."

He leaned towards Dave, who didn't hesitate to meet him halfway. The kiss was deep, and passionate, and anything but innocent. Sebastian's hand slid up the inside of Dave's thigh, but he resisted the temptation to move it any higher.

"Are you sure you don't want to come inside?" Sebastian teased, so close that his breath ghosted over Dave's lips as he spoke.

"Please don't tempt me. I'm having enough trouble resisting you as it is."

Sebastian knew he wouldn't have any trouble luring Dave into his house, and with anyone else he would have done so without a second thought, but Dave _wasn't_ anyone else, a fact that was becoming more and more apparent as time went on. "Alright, I'll behave just this once. I'll call you tomorrow." He pressed a much more chaste kiss to Dave's lips before exiting the car.

Dave, still feeling a little lightheaded from the kiss, watched him leave, wondering at the fact that something as complicated and confusing as their relationship could feel so amazing.

* * *

><p>Since Dave had football practice, and Sebastian had lacrosse and the Warblers, it wasn't easy to find an afternoon that they were both free, but they managed to meet at the Lima Bean after school the following Wednesday. They were both aware that somewhere Kurt and Blaine frequented wasn't an ideal meeting place, but it was the only café in Lima that sold coffee that even came close to meeting Sebastian's standards. Dave hadn't even finished teasing Sebastian about his finicky taste in caffeinated beverages before they noticed the aforementioned couple taking seats a few tables away from them.<p>

Kurt spotted them at almost the same moment. He didn't appear surprised to see them together exactly, most likely because Finn or Rachel had mentioned encountering them at Breadstix, but it looked as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

"It seems we're being judged by Mr. High and Mighty. Oh joy."

Sebastian's sarcasm earned him a chastising glare from Dave.

"Look, I know you two have a very messy, complicated history together, but I honestly can't understand what you see in him. He's a walking stereotype who thinks he's better than everyone else when he's just another pathetic Lima loser."

"You know nothing about him," Dave argued calmly but firmly. "You're just judging him on his most superficial qualities. Look, you don't have to like him, but at least wait until you actually know him before you dismiss him. And by the way, if having the misfortune to grow up in this town automatically makes you a Lima loser, you realise that includes me too, right?"

Sebastian had the decency to look ashamed. "I didn't mean… I know you're better than this town, ok?"

"Well so is Kurt."

"If you say so."

"Look, just… at least _try_ to be civil, _please_?"

"Fine," Sebastian relented. He didn't want to, but there wasn't much he wouldn't agree to when Dave was looking at him like that.

"An apology would be nice too."

Sebastian shot Dave a look that suggested that he was about as likely to apologise to Kurt as he was to trade his car for a minivan and transfer to McKinley, but Dave persisted.

"How would you feel if some hotter, richer, more sophisticated asshole just appeared out of nowhere and assumed he could steal me away from you?"

"Impossible. No one's hotter than me."

There was a brief moment where Dave appeared to be struggling to fight back a smile, before he managed to school his features into an exasperated glare.

Sebastian sighed. "We'll see, ok? But first I think I'm going to need another coffee to get through this."

As soon as he saw Sebastian leave to rejoin the queue in front of the counter, Kurt stood and swiftly made his way over to take the vacated seat.

"So, I take it Finn was right then," he began. "Which is not something I say often. I was sure he must have confused Sebastian with one of the other Warblers or something. Look, I'm glad that you feel comfortable enough with yourself to start dating, and I know it's none of my business, but–"

"–But you're here to warn me that he's a promiscuous douchebag who I should stay well away from."

"Well, yes, actually. He–"

"–I understand that he's been a jerk to you and you have every reason to hate him."

"So why would you even consider dating him?"

"Because he's a lot more than that. You just haven't had a chance to see the rest of him yet. Look, I appreciate your concern, but I know what I'm getting into here, and you were right when you said it's none of your business."

Before Kurt could reply, Sebastian appeared behind him.

"Excuse me, but that's my seat. _And_ my date."

"Funny, how you never seemed to think that was a problem when it was _my_ boyfriend you were trying to cosy up to," Kurt replied icily.

Sebastian looked as if he desperately wanted to add his own retort but bit it back for Dave's sake.

"Actually, Kurt," Dave shot Sebastian a pointed look, "I think Sebastian has something he'd like to say to you."

"Please don't make me," Sebastian quietly implored, but Dave's expression made it clear he wasn't going to budge. Sebastian sighed heavily. "Fine. I'm sorry for being a hot, rich, sophisticated asshole and trying to steal your boyfriend." He turned back to Dave. "Happy?"

"Thrilled."

"While I appreciate your apology," Kurt replied as he imperiously rose from the chair. "I hope you'll both understand that I'm not ready to forgive you just yet."

Dave nodded to show that he did understand and Kurt returned to Blaine, who had been watching the exchange with concern, poised on the edge of his seat ready to intervene if things got out of hand.

"I hate you," Sebastian grumbled as he reclaimed his seat.

"No you don't."

"I wish I could hate you. It would be so much easier."

"Much less interesting though."

* * *

><p>Dave ignored the knowing smirks from his friends as 'Sexy and I Know It,' the personalised ringtone Sebastian had chosen for himself, sounded from his phone during lunch on Thursday.<p>

"Hey," Sebastian said when Dave answered, "I know we were supposed to have a date tomorrow night, but the Warblers are having one of their video game nights and they've just informed me that they're not going to let me get out of it under any circumstances this time."

"Oh," Dave tried his best to hide his disappointment, "well, have fun, I guess."

"Actually, since video games are really not my thing, I was kind of hoping you'd agree to come along and keep me entertained."

"I'd be happy to, but I should warn you that video games _are_ my thing, so I may end up ditching you in favour of the Xbox."

"That's ok; you'll still be serving your purpose as eye candy, and I'm sure I can come up with some creative ways to regain you attention."

"Well in that case count me in."

"Awesome. I'll pick you up at seven. Later, sexy."

Dave figured he must have blushed at that, judging from the way his friends were sniggering.

The following night, Sebastian took Dave to the house of a fellow Warbler named Nick. Dave couldn't help but associate the name with a teammate of his who personified all the reasons Dave had decided against coming out while he was still in high school, but the boy who answered the door couldn't have appeared more different to the football player who shared his name. Their host eyed Dave curiously as he invited them in, before returning to his place on one of the couches beside a blonde boy with whom he seemed far too cosy for their relationship to be completely platonic, though when Dave mentioned this Sebastian informed him that both boys were adamant they were straight.

All the warblers present appeared to find Dave incredibly intriguing. He could feel their eyes on him constantly. Later, when he caught one of them, whose name he recalled was Trent, staring at him, the sheepish boy admitted that their curiosity stemmed from the fact that Sebastian had never shown the slightest inclination to bring a date before and they were all wondering what was so special about Dave.

Dave was almost immediately shepherded towards the TV and handed a video game controller while Sebastian chose to hang back and watch for the moment. He was relieved to see that Dave appeared to be settling in fairly well, not that the Warblers were giving him much choice. Sebastian perched himself on the arm of a couch, smiling a little at the intent expression on Dave's face as he concentrated on the game. It was cute.

–_Wait a second, _Cute?_ No, I did _not_ just think that. It's hot. That's what I meant._

"So when were you going to tell us you had a boyfriend?" Nick's voice startled him out of his reverie.

"I– He's not my boyfriend."

"Right, I forgot, you don't do boyfriends," Nick replied, his tone suggesting that he didn't believe Sebastian's claim in the slightest. "So what is he then, your fuck buddy?"

Sebastian almost flinched at the bluntness of the term, which he wouldn't have even blinked at a few short weeks ago. "He's… somewhere in between."

"Well judging by the fact you admitted even that much, I'd say he's a lot closer to the 'boyfriend' end of the spectrum."

Sebastian left the identical smirks from the two boys on the couch behind, though his lack of response effectively confirmed Nick's assertions, and sat beside Dave on the floor, his arm almost automatically snaking around the other boy's waist. Dave leaned into him a little, but otherwise remained entirely focused on the game. Sebastian deemed the lack of response completely unacceptable and began to move his thumb in slow circles above Dave's hipbone before surreptitiously slipping it under the hem of his t-shirt so he could repeat the motion on bare skin. He studied Dave's expression closely, watching as his concentration became more and more of a struggle.

After a minute or two, Sebastian began to press small kisses against Dave's neck, which increased in intensity until he heard a simultaneous groan from Dave and cry of victory from Thad.

"Shut up, I was a little distracted," Dave defended as he threw down his controller.

"Sorry, babe, I promise I'll make it up to you," Sebastian pseudo-apologised.

"And how are you planning on doing that?"

Dave knew as soon as the words left his mouth that he was asking for trouble but it was too late; Sebastian grinned wickedly and pulled him into a fiery kiss. The room erupted in a multitude of groans, one or two cheers, and several admonishments of "Get a room."

Sebastian shrugged in response after releasing Dave. "You guys hijacked our date night; we're reclaiming it."

"Whatever, dude. It's your turn." Jeff pushed Dave's discarded controller into Sebastian's hands.

"No it's not. I agreed to come here; I never said I'd play anything."

"Everyone has to play, that's the rules."

"Since when?"

"Since now," Jeff replied with a shrug.

Sebastian gave in and accepted the controller. Dave remained beside him, murmuring advice into his ear as he played. Sebastian didn't really need the assistance –just because video games were far from his first choice of leisure activity didn't mean he wasn't any good at them– but there was no way he was going to protest when he could feel Dave's hot breath against his skin and the warmth of Dave's shoulder resting against his own.

Once the tournament of that particular game ended, a fierce debate began over what to play next. Sebastian and Dave elected not to participate, sitting side by side on the couch in companionable silence while the rest of the group argued. Eventually the squabbling died down and they looked up to see Nick inserting the chosen game into the console. Dave's heart sank when he realised it was some kind of singing game. He hoped that if he hung back and kept quiet they wouldn't notice that he hadn't participated, or maybe they'd let him off because he wasn't really part of their group and he was the only non-singer present. He wasn't that lucky.

Eventually, the rest of the group noticed that Dave and Sebastian were the only ones who hadn't taken their turns yet. They were immediately forced off the couch and pushed towards the TV.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll go easy on you," Sebastian assured Dave, recognising that any attempt to protest would be futile. "I'll even let you pick the song."

Dave reluctantly began scanning through the options; debating whether he should choose something that would reflect favourably on his taste in music, or go with a song he was confident he could do a half decent job of singing. He decided on the latter since he recalled that more than one of the Warblers had chosen Britney Spears songs. In comparison to that, maintaining his dignity wasn't really going to be a problem. He made his selection, and the first notes of Michael Bublé's 'I Just Haven't Met You Yet' began to play.

Sebastian was reasonably familiar with the song, so he was able to sing it almost absent-mindedly, more interested in hearing Dave's voice. He wasn't sure what he'd expected exactly, but this certainly wasn't it. Dave was good, really good.

_Damn, just when I thought he couldn't get any sexier._

The Warblers observed them with keen interest. They were initially impressed by Dave's unexpected talent but their amazement quickly transformed into amusement when they saw that Sebastian was becoming noticeably flustered. There were one or two moments when he appeared to almost forget to sing. Dave won by a considerable margin but by the time the song ended Sebastian was too busy staring at him hungrily to glance at the final score.

"Well, guys, this has been fun but I think Dave and I are going to leave now." Sebastian wasted no time in grabbing Dave's arm and leading him out of the room. They moved quickly, but not so quickly that they didn't hear the Warblers bursting into laughter as soon as they were out of sight.

"You could have warned me," Sebastian admonished after they had both climbed into his car.

"About what?"

"That you sound like a freaking sex god when you sing."  
>Dave's expression showed that he didn't remotely agree with Sebastian's description of his musical prowess, but he replied "Well, consider it payback for distracting me earlier."<p>

Sebastian didn't particularly care which direction they were travelling, he just kept driving until he found somewhere they were unlikely to be discovered and parked the car.

"Where are we?" Dave asked.

"No idea."

"Ok, then why are we here?"

"So we can do this." Sebastian immediately lunged towards Dave, crashing their lips together.

Dave took less than a second to recover from the surprise and responded eagerly. He tried to draw Sebastian closer but only succeeded in pulling them both into a very awkward position.

"Back seat?" Dave suggested. Sebastian moved out of the front of the car and into the back almost before Dave could blink.

Dave quickly followed, and they hurried to pick up where they'd left off. Their tongues tangled together, determined to explore every inch of each other's mouths, only breaking apart briefly to allow them to remove each other's shirts. They fervently pressed their bodies together, attempting to achieve as much skin-on-skin contact as possible.

"This is familiar," Dave commented when they were forced to break apart for air, referring to their many previous assignations in the back seat of the same car.

"Not really," Sebastian disagreed. "This time it's way better."

Dave's response was to press his smiling lips against Sebastian's, his hand unexpectedly slipping between the other boy's legs. Sebastian gave a low groan and pressed back enthusiastically as Dave stroked him firmly through his jeans. After a moment, Dave's hand disappeared and Sebastian began to protest before he realised that it had only moved to unbutton his fly. His pants and boxers were hastily discarded, and Dave took Sebastian in his hand, experimenting with different movements and intently studying the other boy's responses to determine what he liked best. Dave's focused expression was not unlike the one Sebastian had noticed earlier that night. Somewhere in the back of his mind where he was still capable of some semblance of rational thought, Sebastian concluded that it was both cute and hot, but most importantly it was _Dave_.

Sebastian lost himself in Dave's touch for a while before it occurred to him that he was being selfish. He quickly got rid of Dave's remaining garments and took hold of the other boy's erection, his confident, practised strokes contrasting with Dave's experimental but enthusiastic movements, though both felt somehow perfect. They allowed the world around them to disappear, entirely focused on drinking each other in with every one of their senses.

"I'm close," Dave eventually choked out.

"Me too." Sebastian connected their lips once more as they both surrendered to ecstasy.

Afterwards, Sebastian's head came to rest on Dave's shoulder for a time, before he lifted it to give Dave one final slow, tender kiss. Eventually he managed to pull away, reaching into the front of the car to locate the packet of tissues he kept in the glove box so they could clean up themselves and the seat. After somewhat reluctantly replacing their clothes, they sat side by side, leaning against each other.

"Dave?" Sebastian tentatively broke the silence. "I was just wondering – I mean, I don't really care that much or anything," he was quick to add, "it's just that Nick said something tonight that made me think I should probably ask – would you say that we're boyfriends?"

Dave took a moment to consider the idea. "Um…. honestly, I've never really thought about it. I mean, we're just_ us_, aren't we? I don't really feel like we need to put a label on anything. But since that's kind of difficult to explain if anyone else asks what we are to each other, I suppose that 'boyfriends' would be an appropriate term. But only if that's what you want."

What scared Sebastian was that he did want it. He was terrified by the way he felt about Dave, and the fact that those feelings were only growing as time went on. Part of him had initially hoped that their attraction to each other would burn out quickly, before they got to the point where either of them risked getting hurt. Another part of him knew that they were already in way too deep for that and had been for a long time.

"I… wouldn't be averse to it."

Dave heard everything Sebastian didn't say.

"Ok then."

"Ok."

* * *

><p>A week later, they finally managed to go on their second official date. Sebastian took Dave to an almost ridiculously fancy and expensive restaurant that had the benefit of being way too upmarket for anyone from either Dave's former or current school. Dave was initially reluctant to allow his boyfriend to spend that much money on him, but Sebastian had pointed out that money was one thing he'd never been short on, what he'd lacked was someone worth spending it on.<p>

After dinner they went to a movie at a small cinema that only showed obscure foreign and art house films, but was again a place where they were unlikely to run into anyone they knew, and it wasn't as if either of them planned on actually watching much of the movie anyway. As they stood in the queue to buy their tickets, Dave attempted to slip his right hand into Sebastian's left, but Sebastian immediately removed his hand from Dave's under the guise of checking his watch. He knew he was being an idiot. Their hands had been over every inch of each other's bodies; something as simple as holding hands shouldn't be a problem. And he recognised that it was a big step forward for Dave to feel comfortable enough to be that open about their relationship in public. But the casual affectionateness of the gesture made it feel too much like admitting that he was falling into the kind of relationship he'd been running from his entire life.

Unfortunately the cinema was more popular than they'd anticipated and that combined with its small size meant that they couldn't find any seats that were isolated enough to allow them sufficient privacy for what they'd planned. They resigned themselves to actually having to watch the movie, a bizarre french film that neither of them had ever heard of before. As they sat side by side in the darkness, it occurred to Sebastian how _aware_ he always seemed to be of Dave. He couldn't seem to help but focus on the pressure of his boyfriend's shoulder against his own, or the knowledge that Dave's left leg was so close to his right he could swear he felt the warmth radiating from it. Dave hadn't tried to hold his hand again, and he wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

Dave had given up trying to pay attention to the movie. He was sick of reading the subtitles, the plot was way too confusing to begin with, and it was kind of difficult to concentrate on anything when Sebastian was sitting so close to him. He was seriously debating whether or not they should just start making out anyway (if they got thrown out, well, then they could just go do it somewhere else) when something on the screen finally managed to capture his attention. Two of the male characters, who, as far has he could tell, had done nothing but argue up until this point, had suddenly started kissing, and, if nothing else, it was hot. He tried to focus more on the movie after that, and, while he still didn't understand much, one of the things he did glean was that the relationship between those two characters wasn't treated any differently to the numerous straight relationships in the film. That essentially meant that it was just as screwed up, but it was still nice to be reminded that there were some places and some people who would be more accepting of his sexuality. He felt a hand gently squeeze his knee, and realised that Sebastian must have understood exactly how he was feeling. Then the couple on the screen kissed again and a grunt of displeasure from somewhere else in the cinema reminded him that they were still in Ohio.

After the movie, as they joined the line of people exiting the cinema, a middle-aged couple a few places in front of them began to argue loudly.

"I can't believe you made me watch that arty-farty piece of crap," the man was complaining. "It was ridiculous, not to mention full of homos. No respectable person could possibly want to sit through something like that." His mortified wife was quietly attempting to diffuse him but she wasn't having much luck.

Dave looked at his feet sadly, appearing as if he was trying to make himself as small and insignificant as possible. Sebastian, in contrast, stood taller, his expression hardening and his eyes sparking with anger. They had reached the door of the theatre by this point, and Sebastian pointedly took Dave's hand as they passed the couple.

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about," the irate man exclaimed when he saw them. "That sort of filth makes _them_ think they can just flaunt their disgusting perversion in public."

Sebastian had a perfect retort prepared but before he could use it the man's wife hastily led him away, shooting the two boys an apologetic glance. Dave angrily ripped his hand out of Sebastian's, catching the other boy by surprise, and stormed off in the direction of the car. Confused, Sebastian hurried after him.

"So you'll only hold my hand when you're making a point, is that it?" Dave all but shouted when Sebastian caught up to him.

"I… um… Sorry?" Sebastian had no idea how to respond since he wasn't entirely sure why Dave was so angry in the first place.

"What have I ever said or done that could have made you think I'd be comfortable confronting an obvious homophobe in a public place?"

"Oh." Realisation crashed over Sebastian like a tsunami. "Crap. I'm sorry, I was just so pissed off and I didn't think–"

"–Yeah, that's obvious."

Sebastian sighed. "I'm an idiot, ok? I know that. And I can be a self-centred asshole, and sometimes I let my pride and anger get the better of me, and I don't always think before I act, and I'm really sorry. For making you uncomfortable, and for the fact that the whole 'relationship' thing kind of freaks me out sometimes."

Sebastian's slumped posture radiated contrition and Dave found that he couldn't hold onto his anger.

"Well I guess we both have things we need to work on," he said quietly after a moment. "I know it can't be easy for you dating someone who's so far in the closet when you're used to being out and proud."

"Hey, you've got to do everything at your own speed, I respect that. I'm sorry I forgot that for a moment tonight. And you've never pushed me in the areas of our relationship I'm not entirely comfortable with. Well, except when I really needed to be pushed." They both smiled a little at that. "So… are we ok?"

"Yeah, we're ok."

Sebastian was careful to check that there was no one around before he kissed Dave softly.

"What do you want to do now?"

Dave looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can we just… find somewhere where there's no one else that can ruin our night?"

"Sure. Is my place ok?"

"Sounds perfect."

Sebastian's bedroom door shut out the judgemental world. They lay together on the bed, kissing languidly, savouring every moment of contact. Sebastian poured everything into the kiss, desperate to convey all the emotions he wasn't ready to put into words yet. Because he knew that Dave deserved to know.

The slow smoulder of desire built gradually within them, and eventually Dave gave in to the temptation to move his lips to Sebastian's neck. He kissed every inch of skin he could reach, relishing the soft moans that escaped from Sebastian's lips, before carefully removing his boyfriend's shirt so he could continue his ministrations. He paid close attention to Sebastian's nipples, which he'd discovered early on were particularly sensitive, and Sebastian found himself unable to form any semblance of coherent thought. He lay on his back with Dave poised above him, perfectly content to forget that anything existed beyond the two of them. The rest of the world was entirely inconsequential; the only thing that mattered was that Dave didn't stop touching him. He'd never allowed himself to get so lost in another person before, but with Dave he had no idea how to prevent it, or if he even wanted to.

After a time, which may have been seconds or days as far as Sebastian could tell, Dave's lips returned to his boyfriend's. Sebastian managed to break through the haze of arousal enough to realise that there was still a layer of fabric between their chests. His hands immediately moved to the buttons on Dave's shirt, but couldn't seem to remember how to undo them. Dave got rid of the shirt himself, and then it was Sebastian's turn to thoroughly explore his boyfriend's torso. He slid down the bed as his kisses moved lower, stopping when he reached Dave's waistband. This time he didn't gave any trouble getting past the fastening and he wasted no time in moving Dave's pants and boxers out of the way.

Taking in the sight of Dave's hard cock above him, Sebastian wanted nothing more than to take it in his mouth and make Dave forget his own name, but he stopped himself. They'd never done this before, _Dave_ had never done this before, and hadn't they agreed to take it slow?

"Can I…?" Sebastian started to ask, but cut himself off. 'Can I blow you?' suddenly seemed far too crude, and it was difficult to figure out how to rephrase the question when a considerable portion of his blood was concentrated somewhere much lower than his brain. In the end, he didn't have to; the proximity between Sebastian's mouth and Dave's groin made it easy for Dave to infer what his boyfriend was asking. He nodded vigorously in response.

Sebastian spent a few minutes leisurely teasing Dave's erection with his tongue before carefully taking it into his mouth. He began slowly, wanting to ensure that Dave knew they could stop at any time if it got to be too much.

After a while, he pulled back and looked back at his boyfriend, his eyes searching Dave's intently. "Are you sure this is ok?"

"It's a hell of a lot better than ok," Dave replied breathlessly. "Just please don't stop again." There was a distinct note of desperation in his voice.

Sebastian was more than happy to comply with Dave's request. He drew on his extensive experience, but for the first time his motivation was simply the desire to give his boyfriend as much pleasure as possible, rather than the egocentric intention to flaunt his own prowess. It wasn't long before he noticed Dave beginning to quiver above him. He gave Dave's ass an encouraging squeeze, and soon Dave was coming down his throat.

Sebastian moved back up to the head of the bed as his boyfriend collapsed down beside him. He valiantly attempted to ignore his own pressing arousal as he kissed Dave languorously. Dave's hand slipped between them, caressing Sebastian's chest and abdomen before beginning to slowly stroke his long-neglected erection. Just as Sebastian began to get frustrated with the leisurely pace, Dave began to kiss his way down Sebastian's torso.

"You don't have to," Sebastian began when he realised what Dave was planning.

"I want to," Dave assured him. "That, just now, was completely amazing and I want to make you feel amazing too." Dave hesitated a little. "Just… keep in mind that I've never done this before so I'm probably not going to be any good."

"Hey." Sebastian's hand gently cupped Dave's cheek. "It'll be amazing because it's _you_, ok?"

Sebastian had intended to reassure Dave with words of encouragement or advice, but the second Dave's mouth enveloped his cock he forgot what words were. He must have been further gone than he'd realised because his orgasm overtook him much sooner than he expected.

Dave moved back to lie beside Sebastian once more, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips. They lay with their foreheads resting against each other, their arms and legs intertwined. After a while Dave became aware that, though Sebastian's eyes were still directed towards his, they seemed to be focused on something a million miles away.

"Hey, you still in there?" Dave asked gently.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

"You feel like telling me what you were thinking about?" Dave's tone was hopeful, but made it clear that Sebastian was free to say no if he didn't feel like sharing.

"I…" Sebastian struggled to figure out how to begin. "All my life I've always needed to be completely in control of every situation, no matter what. But, with you, I can't even seem to stay in control of myself. And it's alien, and terrifying, and a whole heap of other really disconcerting things, but… somehow, I'm ok with it. Because as frightening as it is, I know that it's infinitely better than not being with you. Because not being with you is… unthinkable."

Dave smiled and kissed Sebastian softly, his touch communicating better than words ever could.

_I understand. _

_You can trust me. _

_I'm not going anywhere._

Sebastian surrendered a little more of himself to Dave.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm so sorry, I can't believe how long this took me. I've had most of it written for about a month, but the last scene was stubborn and I'm now three weeks into the hardest semester of my entire 5 year degree so my writing time is very limited. (I'm supposed to be writing an essay right now, but since I'm a master of procrastination, this got written instead.) Because of that, I have no idea how long it's going to take me to write the third part. I can only promise that it will be up eventually. **


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